What is Amateur Radio?

“You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat.”

Amateur radio or “ham radio” is a multifacetedhobby for public service and personal accomplishment and enjoyment. Hams makehundreds of friends while operating two-way radio stations from their homes,cars and the out-of-doors. Public service includes providing emergencycommunications to public officials and private citizens in times of emergencyand disaster when commercial communications are disabled. Examples are weatherrelated storms, floods, and earthquakes. Personalaccomplishmentincludes learning new technical details relating to radio theory, radio propagation,and digital communication.

Additionally they visit via radio with other hams across townor across the world, using the simplest (or most sophisticated and expensive)of radio setups and antennas, and they have great fun! As has been chronicledwith the internet, many a romance has been fostered through the facilitiesof amateur radio.

Who Are Hams?

Anyone can be a ham radio operator–no matter what age, gender,or physical ability. There are no limits! Amateur radio operators range inage from under 6 years to over 100. People from all walks of life pass theentry level Amateur Radio exams and become part of the ham radio family.

Ham Radio folks

The vintage radio station of Brian, W9HLQ, Tinley Park, Illinois

Shown is Hallicrafters SX-115 and matching speaker.On the right is a Johnson Viking Valiant AM/CW transmitter.

Amateur radio is a hobby of personal enjoyment. But in timesof need, hams are transformed into self-trained public service communicators,ready and able to help their neighbors during emergencies and natural disasters.Hams enjoy practicing for these times by sending Radiograms — free personalmessages— from anyone to anyone, anywhere in the United States.

As with most hobbies, you have a multitudeof choices about how much time and money you invest. You can contact anothercontinent using the simplest radio setup and antenna.

Many famous people are hams, but the majority areordinary folks who like making new friends every day. Nearly anyone can useham radio to open the door on the world. Handheld radios allow easy communicationswhenever necessary, and can be carried wherever you go, day or night, providinginstant contact with friends.